Located approximately 120 km north of Lisbon along the famous Silver Coast of Portugal is the town Nazaré. With roughly 10.000 inhabitants, the small town was once a traditional fishing village turned summer seaside resort. Nowadays, the town is a hot point for surfers and those fascinated by its world-famous giant waves. It’s also somewhat of a religious destination, the home of one of Portugal’s most important sanctuaries, the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Nazareth.
An Introduction to Nazaré
Nazaré has experienced a boom in the last few years, no longer just a seaside town it’s a year-round destination due to the monster winter waves attracting surfers. Despite the recent boom, Nazaré is also full of tradition and history that’s proudly displayed everywhere you visit. Nazaré grew around through its long fishing tradition and expanded through religion and devotion.
What to See and Do in Nazaré
Despite the recent fame for big waves and surfing, you’ll easily find enough to fill a day or more of sightseeing in Nazaré. Here’s our favourite things to see and do in Nazaré!
Praia da Nazaré – Nazaré Beach
For many visitors, this is the starting point of the visit, Nazaré’s main beach known as Praia da Nazaré. It stretches for approximately 1.5 km, and has plenty of beach side facilities. With long and wide access points, it’s also deemed one of Portugal’s most accessible beaches.
That said, you’ll only find lifeguard supervision during the bathing season during the summer months. Sunbeds, parasols, changing rooms are also widely available from several stands along the beach. The wide sand stretch makes it a lovely beach for sunbathing. The downside is that it can be overcrowded during summer, and the waters can be quite rough, despite having lifeguards it’s not the best beach for young or inexperienced swimmers and families. However, it is a fantastic beach for surfing and body boarding.
Stretching the full length of the beach is a promenade lined with calçada portuguesa. You will come across proud displays of Nazaré’s tradition, lively bars, restaurants, and the Portuguese beach favourite bolas de berlim. To the south of the beach are two open-air museums, the Sun-dried Fish Museum, and the colourful historical fishing boats.
Sun-Dried Fish Museum
In the southern part of Nazaré Beach, it’s impossible not to notice the sun-dried fish museum. With dozens of racks packed with fish drying in the sun, and the intense smell of fish, the museum/market was created in 2016 as means of keeping alive the ancient tradition of preserving fish.
Walking around the racks you can see different stages of the process that can take up to 3 days depending on the weather conditions. Mackerel, sardine, salmon, and even octopus are some of the seafood or should we say museum pieces, that you’ll see drying in the sun. Across the street, in the former fish market, is the Cultural Centre of Nazaré, and Interpretative Centre respectively, inside you have more information on the origins of the tradition, and also the different ways used in fish drying in Nazaré. You can find very interesting photos and videos and temporary exhibitions depicting traditional aspects of life in Nazaré.
We definitely recommend a visit to both the Interpretative Centre and Sun-Dried Fish Museum, the experience left us both impressed and slightly shocked. For the more adventurous you can buy dried fish and octopus from the sellers that will also give you tips on how to consume them!
Traditional Boats Museum
A couple of meters away from the Sun-dried Fish Museum, is the Traditional Boats Museum. The colourful boats are an icon of Nazaré, and the subject of postcards, paintings and of course souvenirs. The permanent exhibition consists of replicas and original fishing boats, and respective fishing methods applied in each of them. Some of them dating from the 1910s. The open-air museum also holds temporary exhibitions of other traditional vessels. You’ll find details of the temporary exhibitions advertised on the local council’s website.
Funicular de Nazaré
After visiting Praia de Nazaré, it’s time to head up to Sítio de Nazaré, the rocky headland where the sanctuary and famous viewpoints are located. The most scenic way to get there is by riding the funicular. Originally built in 1889, the elevator was designed by French engineer Raul Mesnier du Ponsard, who also designed other notable elevators in Lisbon such as Santa Justa and Ascensor da Glória. Funicular de Nazaré was built to ease pilgrimage to the sanctuary, and it had an important role in the development of the communities based near the sanctuary, connecting them to the beach side section of the town.
The access point from Praia da Nazaré is located at Rua do Elevador 9. And tickets to the 318 meters ride costs €2.90 return, and €1.50 one-way. It operates from Monday to Friday with departures every 15 minutes. If it’s not in operation during the visit, or if you’re feeling active, you can of course also walk up and down the cliff on the well maintained paths and stairs.
Sítio de Nazaré – Sítio Neighbourhood
Located on the cliff directly north of Praia da Nazaré is the Sítio district. It feels like a slightly separate area to the main town of Nazaré below, it sometimes feels even busier and more hectic!
Miradouro do Suberco – Suberco Viewpoint
One of our favourite parts of Nazaré was the Miradouro do Suberco. This viewpoint is within a couple of steps from the funicular landing point at Sítio. It offers breath-taking views of Nazaré and surroundings, and it’s a lovely spot for you to get refreshments and take in Nazaré’s splendour. If you don’t feel like riding on the funicular, it’s also possible to walk up from Nazaré town. The ten minute hike known as Ladeira do Sítio starts from Rua Dr. José Laborinho Marques da Silveira, and it has a couple of interesting stopping points along the way, like Baloiço da Ladeira – Ladeira Swing and São Bras viewpoint. The hike offers equally amazing views of the town and its main beach.
You can also drive to the headland but do note that as one of the main sites of Nazaré, it is very busy, and finding parking space can be challenging. You can park on the streets surrounding the square, and also on parking lots located at Estrada do Farol. While visiting the Miradouro do Suberco, don’t forget to look down, like Praia da Nazaré, it’s also adorned with the iconic Portuguese pavement. To the west of the miradouro, you will find the Memory Hermitage of Nazaré.
Ermida da Memória – Memory Hermitage of Nazaré
If you look towards the plaza on the right-hand side of the miradouro, you will see a small square chapel, with an unpretentious cross, and blue and yellow tiles decorating the roof and main door. Known as Ermida da Memória, the site has been a place of worship since early 12th century, and until the construction of the sanctuary in the 14th century, it was the focal point for devotees of Our Lady of Nazareth. Originally, it consisted of a small altar with the image of Virgin Mary carrying baby Jesus, protected by a grotto. In 1182, Dom Fuas Roupinho, after taking part in the miraculous event known as ‘Lenda da Nazaré’, ordered the grotto to be buried, and the alter demolished, building a chapel over it.
The Legend of Nazaré
According to legend, in the foggy morning of 14th of September of that year, Dom Fuas Roupinho, warden of the castle of Porto de Mós, was on horseback chasing a deer near the cliff area. Determined to get the prey, the warden moved away from his group, and with his vision impaired due to the fog, he didn’t notice how close he was to the edge, about to fall from the cliff.
On the brink of his own death, he recognised where he was: near the grotto with the image of Our Lady with the Infant. He then prayed out loud for Our Lady’s protection, who intervened causing the horse to miraculously stop, saving both from the 100 meters fall. The knight dismounted the horse and went to the grotto to pray and give thanks for the miracle. After praying, he decided to improve the site, asking his companions to fetch masons to start building the chapel immediately. On the back of the chapel, you can see a tile panel with a representation of the miracle.
Who is Our Lady of Nazareth?
You might be wondering why we refer to the saint interchangeably as the Virgin Mary, and Our Lady of Nazareth. Nossa Senhora de Nazaré is one of the several titles of Mary, mother of Jesus. Also known as Virgin Mary, Mother of Mercy, among dozens more. While some titles were determined on geographic and cultural basis, others are specific to the portrayal of Mary in visual arts. Our Lady of Nazaré’s title is due to the place of worship, Nazaré, in Galilee.
Yes, Nazaré in Portugal was named after Nazaré (Nazareth) in Israel. So, what connects both locations to the Virgin of the small grotto in Portugal? It’s said that when the grotto was upgraded by the order of D. Fuas, a hidden chest containing some relics belonging to Saint Blaise and Saint Bartholomew were found by the masons. Among the relics was a parchment paper containing the story of the Virgin.
The story as per the parchment goes along these lines. In the 5th century, the statue was taken from Nazaré in Israel to the monastery of Cauliniana near Mérida, by the Greek monk Cyriacus the Anchorite. In 711, after the Christian defeat by the forces of the Muslim Umayyad Caliphate, in the battle of Guadalete, Roderic the Visigoth King of Hispania managed to escape to the North, seeking refuge in the Cauliniana monastery where he met the monk Frei Romano. Both agreed to flee the monastery taking the Virgin Mary with them, settling in present day Monte São Bartolomeu near Nazaré’s coast. Later on, the pair parted ways and the monk took the image with him, placing it in the grotto where it stayed till the construction of the chapel by Dom Fuas.
Sanctuary of Our Lady of Nazareth
Just opposite the chapel in Largo Nossa Senhora da Nazaré is the imposing Sanctuary of Our Lady of Nazareth. Its construction dates to the 14th century, when King Dom Fernando visited during a pilgrimage to Our Lady of Nazaré. On witnessing the size of the Memorial Chapel, the king decided to build a new and much larger place of worship and dedication. However, much of what you can see today is of later Baroque style and was modified from the original church in the 17th century.
In the right wing of the sanctuary you’ll find the small Religious Art Museum – Museu Reitor Luís Nesi. It houses religious artifacts, documents, and vestments from across multiple centuries of religious devotion from both the original chapel and the later sanctuary.
Forte de São Miguel Arcanjo – Surfing Museum
At the very tip of the Sitio headland you’ll find the 17th-century Forte de São Miguel Arcanjo. At one point it was tasked with protecting Nazaré and its coastline from pirates and raiding forces, but today it houses a surf museum dedicated to Nazare’s extreme surfing. Across several exhibits you can learn exactly what causes the giant waves, and about people’s various attempts to surf them. Inside the main fortress you’ll find a collection of surfboards, wetsuits and even a jetski all telling various stories. Up on the rooftop, you have some of the best views of the coastline and out to the waves. The fortress costs €1 to enter and is open from 10:00 to 18:00 every day.
Surfing in Nazaré
Nazaré is now world famous due to one thing – record breaking waves. However, for most visitors its important to consider that the waves generally occur between November and March – outside the Portugal’s traditional tourist seasons. What make’s Nazaré’s waves just so special? An underwater canyon acts as a funnel, increasing the ocean swell which combines with the local conditions to produce some pretty special waves. Waves are rumoured to approach 30m or 100ft in heights, and the world record for the largest wave ever surfed was measured at 26.2m or 86ft at Praia do Norte.
Praia do Norte
On the northern side of the Sítio headland, is the now famous Praia do Norte. This is the beach where the surfers head out to sea from. It’s an epic stretch of sand, backed by dunes and pine stretches as far as the eyes can see! However, the beach is exposed and can be much windier than the more sheltered Praia da Nazaré. During the summer, the waves can still be quite strong and it is a popular spot for surfing, even if its not the record breaking waves of the winter seasons.
Praia do Sul – South of Nazaré’s Main Beach
On the opposite side of the harbour, south of Praia da Nazaré you’ll find Praia do Sul. It’s sandwiched between the break wall of the harbour and the mouth of the Rio Alcobaça. It’s a long walk from the town, and the beach and waters are much the same as the main beach, except you’ll find it much much quieter.
If you want to take a break from the commercial and busy side of Nazare beach here’s a nice place to relax. Just be aware that is not life guarded and there really isn’t anywhere to buy refreshments. It’s popular with locals and visitors who arrive by car but don’t want to drive into town. Further south and on the other side of the mouth of the Rio Alcobaça, you’ll find Praia de São Gião, an even more deserted beach.
Somewhere to Stay in Nazaré?
As a popular seaside resort, Nazaré has accommodation for every budget. Ranging from budget hostels to luxurious spas. Our personal favourite is Miramar Hotel and Spa. It’s a great hotel located a short walk above the main seaside town, offering a peaceful oasis away from the quite hectic seafront! Its pool and spa, both with amazing seafront views was a fantastic place to unwind after a few busy days exploring central Portugal! You can take a look at the full range of options with this list here!
Day Trips from Nazaré
Planning to spend longer, or want to get the most out of your trip to Nazaré? This central area of Portugal is absolutely dense with historical villages, towns, beach resorts, and world-renowned UNESCO heritage sites. So it’s quite simple to combine Nazaré with visits to other nearby places. The UNESCO heritage site of Alcobaça and its monastery is only 15 minutes away by car, Batalha is only 30 minutes away. 30 minutes south of Nazaré is the ever-popular Óbidos, often referred to as the prettiest village in Portugal. This array of day trips is why we do recommend spending a few days exploring this magical part of Portugal!
If you don’t want to do these trips solo, or organise them yourself then here’s our pick of favourite tours in the area:
- Lisbon: Fátima, Nazaré, Óbidos & São Martinho do Porto Tour (€70 per person)
- From Lisbon: Fátima, Óbidos, Batalha and Nazaré Group Tour (€80 per person)
- Óbidos, Nazaré & Alcobaça: Private Trip by Car (€132 per person)
Should you Visit Nazaré?
Nazare is a fantastic place to visit, or even base yourself in to explore the slower paced Central Portugal. Not only is it an authentic seaside town, but it’s a great place to relax for a few days, chill on the beach and eat some great local food. Similarly it is a great day trip, and can easily be combined with nearby Óbidos, and Alcobaça for a complete experience to fully absorb yourself in Portuguese history and culture. It’s also a great stopping point for travellers making the journey between Lisbon and Porto!
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